Counter to that trend, the south Caucasus, which has been depicted as being in a constant crisis for the last 30 years, now looms as a beacon of relative calm. Economies are booming and the region is turning into a critical part of global trade and transportation. Azerbaijan and Armenia are inching toward a sustainable and just peace.
It is logical for the international community and opinion makers to help shore up these positive regional dynamics. The truth, however, is that we are witnessing fact-distortion and domestic political agendas that run counter to the prevailing narrative. There has also been a rise of dangerous radical religious rhetoric.
Numerous resolutions and reports from the United Nations and other international bodies reflect the undeniable—that for almost three decades, Armenia occupied Azerbaijani territory in an illegal military occupation. During that time, there was widespread ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Azerbaijani population from different parts of the South Caucasus. Almost all the Mosques were destroyed, and the remaining few are completely desecrated. Landmines are everywhere, including cemeteries, and still claiming many civilian lives every year.
Despite that history, after restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty, Azerbaijan has initiated a peace process with Armenia. It is a process that actively continues in good faith, and some notable progress has already been achieved. For the first time since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the two countries have supported each other on some international issues and advanced border delimitation talks.
Still, despite all of this progress, the mainstream media and policymakers allow misinformation to be purveyed. This misinformation, claims that Azerbaijan is the instigator of atrocities in the fight against Armenia, is widespread and has damaged the peace process.
Why?
For those spreading these views, Muslim lives do not matter, domestic political dividends are a priority and controlling the narrative trumps free speech.
A careful look at the titles, headlines, and contents of the media is enough to come to this conclusion. Much is filled with a “clash of civilizations” agenda, highlighting the idea that this is a fight of Muslims against Christians.
The truth is very different. In Azerbaijan’s cities and the countryside, all religions and ethnic groups happily live side by side. The same cannot be said of Azerbaijan’s fiercest critics. Their cities are filled with scenes of Islamophobia, antisemitism and hate.
When political and ideological circles promote this “clash” with a nod from policymakers and the strategic silence of diplomats, it helps to make a mess of the whole world, such as what we are seeing now in the Middle East.
It is time to confess, rethink, and remake. And in this, the West has an important part to play.
The more an anti-Azerbaijani elite in the United States, France, and others nations aligns their misinformation efforts with attempts to militarize Armenia, the more revanchism takes roots among its establishment. Today, there are regular military exercises, combat training, and heavy weapons deliveries from Western forces to Armenia, and I am seeing ever-more belligerent statements from Armenian diplomats, who are happily supported particularly by likeminded officials in the United States.
“The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next elections, while the statesman thinks about the next generation, is one of my all-time favorite quotes from Winston Churchill.
Derailing peace and development prospects is easy, helping to build peace takes a courage. U.S. diplomats are dedicated to the latter, and I appreciate it, but their efforts get tainted by others inside the government with Armenian sympathies.
When international law breaks down, it harms not just the South Caucasus, but everyone everywhere on the globe. The United States has a unique responsibility to promote a “rules-based international order.” By successfully doing so, it will make the backdrop of future UN sessions brighter and the meetings themselves more hopeful.
Khazar Ibrahim is ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United States, and previously served as that nation’s ambassador to Türkiye and NATO.
